Apple has removed several VPN apps from its App Store at the request of Russia's government communications watchdog, according to VPN developers. Last week, Russia's Interfax news agency reported that Apple had removed 25 VPN apps from the Russian App Store after Roskomnadzor, the government agency responsible for regulating the internet, including content that Russians can access, requested the removal.
The internet in Russia is tightly controlled and censored, so Russian web users often rely on VPNs to circumvent restrictions and access blocked content.
On Monday, two VPN services - LeVPN and RedShieldVPN - told TechCrunch that they received a letter from Apple informing them of Apple's decision to remove their apps from the App Store.
According to screenshots provided by the company's CEO and founder Vladislav Zdolnikov, Apple sent RedShieldVPN a letter that read: "We hereby inform you that your app will be removed from the Russian App Store because it contains content that is illegal in Russia and does not comply with the App Review Guidelines."
The same letter was provided by another source who claimed to know some of the developers of the banned apps.
The main argument of the letter is that the VPN app in question violated Russian law. "Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where you provide your app (ask an attorney if you're unsure). We know it's complex, but it's your responsibility to understand and ensure your app complies with all local laws, not just the guidelines below," the letter reads.
The letter did not provide a specific reason for the app's removal, but noted that the Russian state news agency's removal request was authorized by a specific article of Russian federal law.
This is the latest crackdown on VPNs since the government introduced a VPN advertising ban ahead of the country’s general election in March this year.
Zdolnikov said in an email that RedShieldVPN, as well as other removed apps like HideMyName and LeVPN, "were developed and maintained by people with deep knowledge of Russian internet censorship mechanisms."
"We know how to circumvent these restrictions and are constantly improving our services," Zdolnikov wrote. "Despite our efforts for years to block our services, users can still use them. It turns out that Apple does the job for the Russian authorities, and with better quality."
LeVPN founder Konstantin Votinov said the company received a message from Apple on July 4 notifying them to remove the app. In the case of LeVPN, Roskomnadzor flagged the app description on the AppStore as "infringing content," Votinov said.
"After our app was removed, we received a notification from [Roskomnadzor] via Apple, leaving us with no opportunity to resolve the issues," Votinov said. "This appears to be part of a wider crackdown affecting at least 25 VPN providers in Russia."
In 2022, Apple stopped hardware exports to Russia and stopped some services in protest of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but its App Store remained open. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian Embassy in Washington also did not respond.